Elaeocarpus plant named ‘Monproud’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Elaeocarpus  plant named ‘Monproud’, characterized by its upright, columnar and compact plant habit; relatively slow growth rate; short internodes and relatively small leaves; dense and bushy plant form; and elliptically-shaped, undulate and twisting leaves that are initially bronzed green in color becoming dark green with development.

Botanical designation: Elaeocarpus decipiens.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Monproud’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Elaeocarpus plant, botanically known as Elaeocarpus decipiens, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Monproud.

The new Elaeocarpus originated from a cross-pollination of an unnamed selection of Elaeocarpus decipiens, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed selection of Elaeocarpus decipiens, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Elaeocarpus was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Azusa, Calif. in August, 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Azusa, Calif., since October, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Elaeocarpus are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Monproud have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and culture such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Monproud’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Monproud’ as a new and distinct Elaeocarpus cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, columnar and compact plant habit.     -   2. Relatively slow growth rate.     -   3. Short internodes and relatively small leaves; dense and bushy         plant form.     -   4. Elliptically-shaped, undulate and twisting leaves that are         initially bronzed green in color becoming dark green with         development.

Plants of the new Elaeocarpus can be compared to plants of the parent selections and other selections of Elaeocarpus known to the Inventor. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Azusa, Calif., plants of the new Elaeocarpus differed from plants of the parent selections and other selections of Elaeocarpus known to the Inventor in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Elaeocarpus had shorter internodes than         plants of the parent selections and other selections known to         the Inventor.     -   2. Plants of the new Elaeocarpus had smaller leaves than plants         of the parent selections and other selections known to the         Inventor.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Elaeocarpus were more undulate         and twisting and had more pronounced venation than leaves of         plants of the parent selections and other selections known to         the Inventor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Elaeocarpus.

The photograph at the bottom of sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Monproud’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical leaves of ‘Monproud’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown in five-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery for about three years in Azusa, Calif. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 24° C. to about 29° C. and night temperatures ranged from about 4° C. to about 12° C.

-   Botanical classification: Elaeocarpus decipiens cultivar Monproud. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Elaeocarpus             decipiens, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Elaeocarpus             decipiens, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 80 days.         -   Root description.—Thick, woody with age; new roots, reddish             white, with development becoming closer to light brown.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial shrub; compact, upright and columnar plant             habit; relatively slow growth rate. Short internodes and             relatively small leaves; dense and bushy plant form. Freely             branching; about 26 lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 98 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 58 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 38 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 cm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color, young: Close to 144A.             Color, woody: Close to 201A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 8.4 cm. Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Aspect:             Twisting. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Shallowly             serrate; undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; tough, leathery. Venation pattern:             Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 146A overlain with close to 184A. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A; with             development, overlain with close to 42A. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: Close to 148A. Venation, upper             surface: Close to 144A. Venation, lower surface: Midrib,             close to 185A; lateral veins, close to 148A. Petiole length:             About 1 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Petiole color,             upper surface: Close to 184A. Petiole color, lower surface:             Close to 146D. -   Flower description: Flower development has not been observed on     plants of the new Elaeocarpus. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Elaeocarpus grown in the     garden have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests     common to Elaeocarpus. -   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Elaeocarpus have been observed     to be very tolerant to rain and wind. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Elaeocarpus have been     observed to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from −12° C. to 43°     C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Elaeocarpus plant named ‘Monproud’, as illustrated and described. 